Time to become creative

How many times when you were moving through the decades of raising a family and building a career did you say that you were going to write the greatest novel when you retired?  Now that you are retired and the time do you wonder if you could do it? Many of us, promised ourselves we would uncork all of that creativity we have been keeping pent up all these years and let it spill out onto the world.  So why not give it a try?  Nobody ever got hurt trying for greatness. Some of us may write, some of us may learn to play an instrument, some will paint, others will learn to sing, but all of us should try to uncork our creativity. If not now, when?

So, what if you don’t achieve “greatness”, this is a wonderful time to explore your creative side.  It might not be “the great novel”.  That phrase really is a way of expressing the fact that I believe we all have something creative and unique to give and this is our time to let them out.

The idea that writing, or painting, or acting or any of the creative arts are the venue only for the young has been proven wrong time and time again.  It seems creativity and creative expression really knows no age limits.  In the last few years, we have had Haley Joel Osment, Harrison Ford and Clint Eastwood all vying for the Academy award.  That makes a 10-year-old, a man in his late middle ages and a senior citizen all being evaluated by the same criteria for greatness in acting.   

In fact, it is notable that a few years later when Clint Eastwood won the Oscar for directing, he remarked that much older directors than him were still making their masterpieces.  So, he was a youngster in his 70s just getting started striving for greatness.  These are just a few examples to show that if these senior citizens can shine in their creative work late in life, so can you. 

Some of us are afraid of being embarrassed, don’t be, also don’t be afraid to get out there take the introductory classes in the art form you want to try out.  You may have always dreamed of painting.  Did you know that Picasso and Rembrandt did some of their finest paintings when they were older?  There are thousands of online courses for seniors, many are free or low cost,  in every discipline so if you are nervous about being the Grandpa or Grandma of the class find a class you’re your peers where you will get the respect you as a fellow artist and peer in the artistic community and no one will wonder or comment on your age.

This is not to say that writing or other forms of creative expression are not going to take work to master.  But in that department, you also have the inside track, you are no stranger to hard work.  You worked hard to raise a family, succeed in a career and provide for others all of your adult life.  Now its time to use some of that work ethic to let your own light shine and for a little while, let it all be about you.